Men’s Basketball Set to Tip Off 1998-99 Season – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/11/1998 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
November 11, 1998
COLUMBUS, Ohio – When the Buckeyes take the floor for the first official game against Oakland, it will mark the earliest an Ohio State men’s basketball team has played a season-opener. The Nov. 13 date against the Golden Grizzlies is earlier than the Nov. 15 contest against DePaul (L 71-53) in the opening round of the preseason NIT in 1989. The Buckeyes will play seven games in November this season, the most ever played in November during a single season. The previous high was four last year.
Ohio State 84-15 in home openers
The Buckeyes have an overall record of 84-15 in home openers for an 84.9 winning percentage. OSU has won its last three and 38 of the last 39. Ohio State was 39-3 (.929) in St. John Arena in home openers. In season-opening contests, the Buckeyes are 78-12 for a winning percentage of .788.
Buckeyes conclude exhibition season with win over Marathon, 88-67
Ohio State used a 15-4 run in the second half to pull away from Marathon Monday during an 88-67 win in Value City Arena. Michael Redd led OSU for the second consecutive game with 16 points. Redd also notched his first double-double of the season, grabbing 12 rebounds. Three other Buckeyes reached double figures in the point column – Jon Sanderson with 15, George Reese with 14, and Scoonie Penn with 12. After some lackluster shooting in the first half (15-of-41 for 37 percent), Ohio State caught fire in the second 20 minutes, connecting on 22-of-37 attempts from the field (60 percent). Redd set the tone early for the second half, hitting his first three shots and scoring six of OSU’s first eight points. Penn showed highlight-reel passing skills for the second -consecutive game and led OSU with seven assists. The Buckeyes forced 17 turnovers and committed 11. Richard Shaw led Marathon with 18 points and eight rebounds. Marathon is compromised of former collegiate players from around the nation. Lazell Durden, a former University of Cincinnati product, scored eight points in the game. OSU shot 48 percent from the floor in the game. The Buckeyes also won the battle of the boards, 48-35.
Four average double figures for Buckeyes in exhibition contests
Sophomore Michael Redd averaged 20 points and 8.5 rebounds in the two exhibition contests for Ohio State. Classmate Jon Sanderson was next at 14.5 points. Junior Scoonie Penn pitched in with 13.5 points a contest to go along with 7.5 assists. He also led with five steals. Junior George Reece added 10.5 points off the bench. Reece scored on 10 of 15 field goal attempts for a team high 66.7 shooting average.
Depth displayed in two exhibitions
Of the 13 players on the OSU roster, 10 averaged double-figure minutes in the two exhibitions. Only three players, Michael Redd (28.0), Scoonie Penn (25.5) and Jason Singleton (22.5) averaged 20 or more minutes. Four players, Redd, Jason Singleton, Sanderson and Carlos Davis all averaged over 30 minutes last season.
More threes to please
The Buckeyes averaged just 4.7 three-pointers made last season when the Buckeyes connected on 143 of 458 long range shots. In the exhibition this season, the Buckeyes landed 18 of 47 treys or nine per game. OSU made 31 percent of its three-pointers last season. That percentage is up to 38 percent this year.
Three Buckeyes could reach 1,000
Three Buckeyes could reach 1,000 career points this season. Senior Neshaun Coleman (623) needs 377 points and classmate Jason Singleton (703) is just 297 short. Sophomore Michael Redd (658) is 342 shy after his record-setting freshman campaign. Another Buckeye, junior Scoonie Penn, could reach 1,000 points as well for his career. He tallied 738 during two seasons at Boston College. He is 262 short of the 1,000 mark for his career.
Oakland begins play in Division I
The Golden Grizzlies begin play in the Mid-Continent Conference for the first time this season. Oakland participated at the Division II level last year and had been a successful program under head coach Greg Kampe. Kampe compiled a record of 252-147 in 14 seasons at the Division II level with six campaigns of 20 or more victories. This season will be the second in a two-year transition to the Division I level. The Golden Grizzlies were 15-12 last season. Oakland will not be able to contend for a Mid-Continent Conference title or for postseason play this year. The Grizzlies will play a complete conference schedule and an impressive non-league slate. In addition to Ohio State, Oakland will host Michigan State (11/17) and travel to Northwestern (11/21). Other road games include Illinois State (11/15), Toledo (11/28) and Cincinnati (12/5).
OSU against Oakland, Mid-Continent Conference
The game against the Golden Grizzlies will be the first meeting between the two schools. The Buckeyes are a combined 4-0 against schools representing the Mid-Continent Conference. Ohio State is 2-0 against Chicago State and 2-0 against Youngstown State. Other schools in the league include Buffalo, Missouri-Kansas City, Northeastern Illinois, Oral Roberts, Southern Utah, Valparaiso and Western Illinois .
Oakland opens with victories in both exhibitions
The Golden Grizzlies opened the season with an exhibition victory over Basketball Unlimited Nov. 4. Oakland won that contest 81-80. The Grizzlies took 38 three-point shots, connecting on 15. They made just 24 shots for the game, only nine of which came from two-point range. The victory came despite being outrebounded 42-37. In the second contest, Oakland had four starters in double figures, including a 30-point effort by sophomore center Dan Campagne. Campagne connected on 14 of 17 shots from the field, all from two-point range. The Grizzlies prevailed over Slovakia Select 77-69 last Tuesday. Oakland hit just 9 of 25 three-pointers but connected on 32 of 60 shots from the field for a shooting percentage of .533. The teams each recorded 30 rebounds.
Buckeyes usher in new era, arena
With the game against the Worldwide All-Stars, Ohio State basketball and hockey will begin the Value City Arena at the Jerome Schottenstein Center era. The new arena will seat 19,500 fans for both men’s and women’s basketball and 17,500 for ice hockey. The facility will be the home for the coaching staffs of the three sports along with locker rooms, training and weight training facilities. The basketball teams will utilize a separate practice facility as well.
Redd considered for Wooden Award
Ohio State sophomore Michael Redd is on the preseason watch list as a candidate for the prestigious John R. Wooden Award, given annually to the nation’s top collegiate player. Redd is among 50 players under consideration this season.
Redd preseason All-Big Ten selection
Both the Big Ten coaches and media selected the same five players to their preseason all-Big Ten Teams at the annual media day festivities in Chicago (Oct. 25). Ohio State sophomore Michael Redd earned a selection along with Louis Bullock (Michigan), Mateen Cleaves (Michigan State), Evan Eschmeyer (Northwestern) and A.J. Guyton (Indiana). Cleaves was tabbed as the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year.
WBNS to televise three games in Puerto Rico
The Buckeyes will have every game on its 1998-99 schedule televised with the addition of the three games in Puerto Rico Dec. 21-23. WBNS (Channel 10) will air the games tape-delayed at 7 p.m. each night of the tournament. Ohio State will open with Alabama-Birmingham Dec. 21 and will play either N.C. State or Middle-Tennessee State Dec. 22. The opener against UAB will begin at 11 a.m. EST. All OSU games will air live on WBNS Radio (AM 1460 and FM 97.1).
Buckeyes Celebrating 100 Years
Ohio State will celebrate 100 years of men’s basketball during the 1998-99 season. The Buckeyes first fielded a team in 1898, posting a record of 12-4. Since then, OSU has compiled a record of 1,264-902 (.584). Since joining the Big Ten, Ohio State has won or tied for 15 conference titles, winning 10 outright. OSU has an overall record in Big Ten games of 610-599 in 87 years of membership. Along the way, the Buckeyes have produced 14 All-Americans, three Associated Press players of the year, 13 NBA first round draft picks, eight members of the National Basketball Hall of Fame, two U.S. Olympians and countless others national, international, conference and local award winners and team members.
1998-99 Captains named
Senior Neshaun Coleman, a 6-3, 190-pound guard from Toledo, will again act as a captain. He was the lone captain last season as a junior. Joining him will be senior Jason Singleton, a 6-5, 190-pound guard/forward from Detroit, and junior James “Scoonie” Penn, a 5-10, 185-pound guard from Salem, Mass. Penn is a transfer from Boston College who is eligible for the first time as a Buckeye this season.
Seven old and six new
Six new faces will dot the Buckeye sidelines in 1998-99. Three freshmen and three junior transfers will be in uniform for the first time as Buckeyes. They join seven veterans from a year ago battling for playing time this season. OSU will field a young team this season with just two seniors. The rest of the squad consists of five juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen.
The addition of “Scoonie” Penn
When Jim O’Brien accepted the position at Ohio State prior to the start of last season, he took over a squad unfamiliar to him and his staff. That soon changed when O’Brien’s star point guard at Boston College decided to become a Buckeye. James “Scoonie” Penn sat out last season because of NCAA transfer rules but was able to practice with his new teammates. “Scoonie has already established himself as one of our team leaders,” O’Brien said. “He will provide good leadership both on and off the court. He will give us quickness, scoring, toughness and a strong work ethic.”
The Schottenstein Center Opens
Ohio State’s $105 million Jerome Schottenstein Center opens for the 1998-99 season and will host a variety of athletics events in addition to many other concerts and shows. A total of 54 Ohio State men’s and women’s basketball and hockey games are scheduled this season. Performers Bill Cosby and Andy Williams also are scheduled. The Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships for wrestling and boy’s basketball, The Wizard of Oz on Ice, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the Harlem Globetrotters and a visit from Sesame Street Live will be just a few of the acts to perform in the Schottenstein Center’s first season.
Other news, notes from 1997-98
Michael Redd was the first Ohio State player since Jim Jackson (1992) to lead the Big Ten in scoring. Prior to Jackson, Dennis Hopson led the league (and was second nationally) in 1987. Red lead OSU 23 times in scoring … When Michael Redd (23) and Jon Sanderson (21) topped the 20-point plateau at Iowa Feb. 14, it marked the first time in Ohio State history a pair of freshmen had done so in the same game. The pair equalled the feat against Penn State just two days later when Redd poured in 28 and Sanderson 21 … Redd is the only returning player who started all 30 games last season Sanderson and Jason Singleton each started 28 … Coleman has connected on his last 14 free throw attempts … His last miss was against Southern California, Dec. 20, 1997.
Coleman pushing for career lead from long range
Neshaun Coleman continued his climb up the three-point shooting charts last year. He ranks second in both three-point field goals made (115) and attempted (348). He needs 30 made three pointers this season to pass Jamie Skelton, who made 144 from 1991-94. Skelton also attempted 422 three points over his career, 74 more than Coleman.
Buckeyes could face as many as nine ranked foes from 1997-98
The 1998-99 Ohio State men’s basketball schedule is dotted with eight potential opponents that finished among the Top 25 or received votes in either the AP or USA Today/ESPN polls last season. Purdue, Michigan, Mississippi, Michigan State and Illinois all ended the season in the Top 25 in both or one of the two major polls. Minnesota, Indiana, Oklahoma and Penn State also received votes for 25 recognition last year.
Twelve Opponents find spots in preseason polls
A total of 12 1998-99 OSU opponents have secured spots in either the preseason Associate Press or ESPN/USA Today polls for the 1998-99 season. Michigan State (5 AP/4 ESPN/USA Today) tops the list followed by Purdue (16/16, Indiana (22/17) and a host of others who have received votes. North Carolina State, Oklahoma, Alabama-Birmingham and Mississippi are all possible opponents in the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic. Miami (Fla.) received votes in both polls. The Hurricanes will meet the Buckeyes in the HIP Health Care Orange Bowl Classic, Dec. 27 in Sunrise, Fla. Other Big Ten teams receiving votes are Minnesota, Penn State and Illinois and Michigan.
